How exactly does music theory work?

By studying the basic elements, such as time values of each type of written note, musical rests, time signatures, and rhythm, you put yourself on the path to mastering music. All these elements come together to establish a foundation that allows you to read, play, and study music.

Music theory puts the ideas and practices of music into a written form, where they can be studied and passed on to others. It's a way to describe and explain music and how it's constructed. So, think of music theory as a means to understand the language of music.